A photo of Boba's makeup for CATS

Actually, per my last post, it's a phone photo (so the quality's not great) of the lovely scrape/bruise on the tip of the left side of her nose. But what I also love about this photo is the cutie-patootie hairdo that her daycare provider, Naima, gave her yesterday. SOOOO adorable!

Also, check out Daddy's comments from yesterday's post about how Boba was a natural in front of an audience of about 60 people last night. SCARY. It's in her genes. Why am I surprised?

THIS IS TO APPEASE DADDY.

I've said that my parents ran off with our "good" digital camera, and that I don't like to blog sans photographs. Well, Jason has begged...and begged...and begged. For an update. You'd think he didn't LIVE WITH BOBA AND SEE HER EVERY DAY. Since he's the love-of-my-life-and-all, I figured I should probably oblige his request. So here goes.

• Now that Boba is walking, she is getting more and more confident about traveling around on her own (i.e., without holding Mommy's hand). Consequently, she's attempted to go faster than her little feet can carry her, and the other day she landed SPLAT! on her face. On the concrete. I was mortified...and only two feet away from her. She immediately burst into tears and I quickly scooped her up in my arms. Sure enough, there was a little gash on the side of her now-cherry-red nose that was bleeding slightly. (And who felt like the worst mother in the world??) I dabbed at the gash and she calmed down in my arms once I stuck a pacifier in her mouth - but the cherry-red nose seemed to smart more and more as time passed. By the next morning, she had a bruise on her nose that looked like someone had applied stage makeup on her for the musical CATS. And was interrupted while the nose was being done. Because the bruise only covers half of her nose. So from one side of her face, she looks like a perfectly healthy baby. The other side looks like Child Protection Services could be screeching into our driveway any second. Fortunately, she seems to have recoved from the trauma - emotionally, anyway - of her first official meeting with concrete. I'll try to get a photo of her nose with my phone...at least you'll get an idea!
• She luuuuuves being chased after. As in, "I'm gonna gitcha!"-grab her by the waist and pick her up as she screams in high-pitched giggles. Sometimes I only have to look at her a certain way and she just erupts in laughter because she knows I'm coming to get her. It's moments like that that make moments like the ones I'm about to describe bearable...
• ....the moments I'm referring to are the ones with the TEMPER TANTRUMS. And I mean full-blown, foot-stamping, face-scrunched-and-red, SCREAMING AT THE TOP OF HER LUNGS temper tantrums. Do they really begin this early in life??? I mean, she gets pissed off like you would not believe! And that whole tactic where you try to distract her with one thing so that she doesn't pay attention the dangerous-thing-she-was-about-to-fiddle-with? NO LONGER WORKS. She remembers that you so coldly and cruelly denied her the opportunity to play with the POWER DRILL. Or the WATER IN THE TOILET BOWL. Or that when she reached to take a gulp of your steaming-hot coffee, you deigned to pull it out of her grasp. The way she screams, I'm surprised CPS hasn't already arrived at our doorstep. (Maybe they're staking out our property for the next time I let her have a face-plant into the concrete.)

Well, there ya go. How's that for an update, Daddy??

Yay! A photo!

Thanks to my good friend Elaine who gave me instructions on how to get the pictures from my phone! So, obviously the quality ain't great, but isn't she cute??? This was taken Tuesday morning and we hadn't combed her hair yet. Her hair is just ridiculous. Everytime I try to imagine her as an older child, no matter what age I can't help but see her with this overgrown mop sticking out all over the place. (Oh, I complain - but actually I love it!)

Three posts in one day! What has come over me???

Makeover Thursday

In honor of Boba's one-year birthday, and my increasing intolerance of Pepto-Bismol pink, I've donned a new look for Flamboba. Like it? A little easier on the eyes, I think.

Oh, the days of old...

...when I would blog daily. Jason lamented to me yesterday that my usual blogging habit has been reduced from once-a-day to once-a-week. Yes, honey, I know. I told him that to shoulder the responsibility of this online journaling (ha!), he should do a few guest posts - just so he can publicly complain about how his working wife, mother of his child, the singular romantic love of his life, DOES NOT BLOG DAILY. Oh, the abuse! How does he tolerate me???

Anyway, joking aside, I actually do have a lot to report on, but I'm not a big fan of blogging without pictures so I really haven't been motivated to write anything. Lolo & Lola took the "good" digital camera with them on their world tour (ours doesn't have a flash - how crazy is that???), so we are momentarily photo-handicapped. We did purchase new camera phones, and I have the sweetest picture of Boba on my wallpaper, but being as technically-inept as I am, I have no idea have to upload camera photos on the computer. Hm. Maybe that's what that thing called the "Instruction Manual" is for.

So, let me say this...and oh my goodness, it's finally here...BOBA IS WALKING!! Oh, she'll fall on her butt a lot and basically has no sense of what direction she's going, but she's definitely using both feet to travel!! It's just remarkable!! Of course, this opens a whole new can of babyproofing worms as I now have to make sure that all objects that used to be out of her reach (therefore, everything at least 6 inches above her head) are, well, not within in her reach. This means constant pulling-things-off-shelves and moving-loose-objects-out-of-the-way and all such safety measures. If you have ever been to my parents' house, which is quite the museum of antiques, you can imagine how difficult all of this is. One might suggest that just clearing all shelves and tables would save us a lot of trouble, but seeing as this isn't our house to begin with, I'm loath to move anything without Lolo & Lola's permission. And they're not here. So? Mommy & Daddy perform the elaborate choreography of swiping-and-replacing, swiping-and-replacing. It's quite entertaining, though hell on the back muscles.

Let's see, what else? Did I mention she loves to give kisses? Oh, they're of the open-mouth variety, which worries us some, but as she's just a wee child it's actually very sweet and adorable. Her favorite word these days is "Ball" and the way she says it seems to correspond to the size of said ball. Little ball? "Boh." Medium ball? "Baww." Big-ass supersize ball? "BAHHHHWWW!!!"

See how much cuteness you're missing out on? My descriptions don't do any of this justice. Maybe Daddy's right after all. DO NOT DENY THE MASSES OF BOBA'S CUTENESS. MUST BLOG DAILY WITH MULTIPLE CLOSEUP PHOTOGRAPHS AND WITTY COMMENTARY.

Hm. I'll see what I can do.

Part II of Party Photos

Alas, I've been delayed! But what else is new?? Ah well...onwards with the part-ay!

Boba's Grand Entrance with Mommy

THISCLOSE to walking

Flirting toddler-style

Another cutie-patootie: Baby Calvin and Mommy Leila

Daddy and a lumpia-eating Boba (much to my chagrin)

The Birthday Family! (Damn that wind...I look like I've got cracks in my face!)

So unfortunately Daddy had to leave early for his show, which meant that our camera was pretty much ignored the rest of the afternoon. I do believe one of my family members was taking photos, but I'm not sure. It was quite a feat trying to juggle Mommy-duties, hostess-duties, and catching-up-with-friends duties. But Boba was truly a little princess and had a fabu time. I know, because she told me later. :)

To those of you who brought gifts for the little one, THANK YOU so much for your thoughtfulness and generosity. I swear, it was like you all read my mind. It was the perfect combination of clothes, toys, and books - not too many of one, and every gift was so PERFECT for her I was just in heaven. (Okay, so is this the only birthday where Mommy gets to feel like the gifts are more for her than for the baby? Or does this happen for the first few years?)

It was a lovely day, and a beautiful first birthday for my beautiful little girl. Thanks again to everyone who helped make the day so special!

Some Birthday present! (And Part I of Party Photos)

So Boba woke up on her birthday - Monday, July 10th - at 3am with a fever. Yikes. By about 10am it was at 102 degrees. Good lord! What a way to spend a first birthday! Good thing we had celebrated the day before, AND good thing she's at an age where getting sick on her birthday is like getting sick on ANY day. (As in - she doesn't care what day it is, she's just miserable.) We were able to bring her to the doctor that afternoon, and he confirmed a viral infection. This meant no antibiotics (which I was fine with - I HATE antibiotics), and no going to work for Mommy and Daddy for the next couple of days, given that Lolo and Lola were jetting off to Spain for 3 weeks on Tuesday. (AAAAHHH! Timing!) Strangely enough, however...despite a consistently high fever (it rarely went below 101), she seemed to be in the best of spirits. Probably because she was like, "Mommy and Daddy are here, with me, TOGETHER??? When the heck does THAT happen??? AWESOME." Yes, I'd have to say that that was the major bonus of the past few days: getting to spend some time together as the family that we are. Even if one of them was burning up like a little blowtorch.

Fast forward to today. At 6:30am she had a temperature of 98 degrees. Wha?? So quickly? Yep, AND THEN, by around 11am she had broken out in a rash all over her body. Good thing I had my handy dandy Baby 411 book with me (Thanks, Famini!) because I was totally prepared to diagnose her with Roseola, a virus that causes a high fever for approximately 3 days and then comes down drastically at the onset of a rash. The rash apparently doesn't bother her, and apparently just acts as a signal that the illness is on its last legs. Yay! Funny, though - she was extra clingy this morning, almost as though she knew that our time at home together was coming to an end. "What, I'm 'better'? No, not 'better'! I'm sure I've got another virus in here somewhere - hold on, let me check - see my fingernail? See how it's slightly less pink than the rest? That's the Pinkyola virus. Mommy must stay home with me MORE!"

Anyway, you all have heard me lament how tough it is when your baby is sick, and I won't bore you with repetition. But I'd just like to add that it's actually quite nice to have Daddy around at nights (his show closed last Sunday). So this illness was seemingly less stressful than the others.

So - ONWARDS WITH PHOTOS! (This is only Part I since I have yet to upload all the photos from that day)

Our friends from L.A.: Jen, Chris, Natalie & Derek

Lola Tess among a sea of family members

Baby Carter with Mommy Monica enjoying some balloons

Joshua, John, & Judy Rosen

Mommy & Boba's grand entrance at the party will be featured tomorrow! Stay tuned!

ONE YEAR!!!

Happy Birthday Boba!!!

Boba turns a year old today. Yesterday we celebrated with a party in the park...with big and little guests all around. And food. And balloons. And a cake! A Winnie the Pooh birthday cake! It was truly lovely!

(I will post pictures tomorrow, I promise!)

Happy Birthday to the mini-Love-of-My-Life. Watching you grow every day has made my life more whole, more profound, and more joyous than anything I could ever wish.

More fun in the sun!

Boba had a pretty rockin' Fourth of July weekend! And of course Mommy was a tool and didn't take too many photos. Fortunately Daddy was much more on the ball and managed to capture the supreme cuteness that is Boba in brand-spankin'-new outfits! Here's the budding model:

Boba at La Jolla Shores - yes, that's a flag on her onesie!

Hangin' with the ZHIVAGO cast - mingling with Broadway stars already!

"Wait - this is a frisbee? And I'm supposed to throw it at you?"

Boba was apparently a big hit with Daddy's fellow castmates. Especially with David McDonald, pictured above, who has two girls of his own and knew exactly how to play with a one-year-old. (Thanks, David!) Boba looooved the attention, and even had a blast in the water with Daddy. That's our So-Cal gal, alright...a beach bunny in the making!

Then, on the actual fourth, we took her up to the mountains for a party thrown by Sean Murray, Artistic Director of the Cygnet Theatre here in San Diego. It was a great bash, with lots of babies and dogs milling about, so Boba was just overwhelmed with the entertainment of it all. Well, okay, she was a bit overstimulated, but we still had a good time. Of course, no photos of the event (lazy Mommy!), but we did get a good shot of Boba in her Fourth of July outfit.

Red, White, and Boba

Hope you all had a great Fourth of July weekend!

I'm at work - BLEAH

The title of this post says it all. I'm sitting here at my desk, TOTALLY disinterested in the pile of work staring at me from the side. Really, Globe, is it fair to make your honest and hardworking employees work a completely useless day that could otherwise be spent re-energizing via rest and relaxation with family and friends?

Ah, but we're a THEATRE company, we MUST be open lest someone calls demanding to know what happened to their script submission entitled "SuperSize Me: THE MUSICAL"!

(You think I'm kidding??? I. AM. NOT.)

What's worse is I have a.) no new pictures to post, and b.) no new cool stories either. I am totally uninspired. I'm telling you, this heat is melting my brain. Yesterday I had totally intended on taking photos at the Del Mar Fair, where Boba was wearing a super-cute dress & hat, but NO...the camera battery was dead. Argh!

Plus Boba's been on a kick where, even though she's sleeping through the night, she's been getting up at 5 a.m. 5 a.m.!!! Double Argh!!!

So there you have it. Flambo's been in a funk. I can no longer blame my workload for not blogging; it's just me. And this damn weather. Southern California is supposed to be pleasant, yes? Uh huh, sure. Someone tell the weatherman because apparently he didn't get that memo.

In a word - BLEAH.